Scent digitization startup Moodify raises $8 million from Procter & Gamble, Toyota

The Israeli company has developed a platform in collaboration with leading Weizmann Institute researchers that enables molecular-level accurate control in the design of scent

Moodify, an Israeli startup that develops technology for the digitization of scent, announced on Monday that it has recently completed raising $8 million in equity financing. CPG giant Procter & Gamble is a key investor in the round. Other investors include Toyota Ventures, OurCrowd, Next Gear Venture Partners, and Taisho Pharmaceuticals.


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Moodify Raises $1.6M Funding for Advanced Functional ScentsShare Article

Moodify raises $1.6M Funding for Advanced Functional Scents Company to present at IAA Frankfurt its joint solution with partner Valeo

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (PRWEB) SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

Moodify, an Israeli company that is developing advanced scent solutions for improved performance and well-being, today announced $1.6M funding from lead investor Next Gear Ventures, with participation from Toyota AI Ventures. The funding brings the total investment in Moodify to $2.3M.

“This investment will enable us to execute on our plan to establish the company as a leader in the market, while continuing to develop Moodify scents,” said Yigal Sharon, co-founder and CEO of Moodify. “The vote of confidence by Toyota AI Ventures, a leading investor in the mobility space, and Next Gear Ventures, one of the champions of automotive innovation, further indicates that there is a real need for Moodify’s groundbreaking technology. Many industries have started to realize the power and significance of smell, and we are very excited to be a pioneer in this novel field.”

Moodify’s scent technology harnesses the power of implicit and explicit smells by emitting safe, non-intrusive signals that have an immediate impact on emotional and physiological condition, for example, by masking bad odors, reducing stress, or waking up someone who is drowsy.

Moodify’s active scents are based on over 10 years of research on chemo-signals at the top science institute in Israel.

“We are very proud to deepen our partnership with Moodify after working closely together with the founders for the past 6 months through Drive Innovation Hub,” said Tal Cohen, General Partner of Next Gear Ventures and Drive TLV. “The company’s solutions for safety and well-being generate great interest not only from leading players in the mobility ecosystem but also from several other major industries offering numerous use cases. Although very powerful, using advanced scent technologies to solve-real world problems has very rarely been successfully achieved at scale, but we believe Moodify has great potential do so.”

“Our mission at Toyota AI Ventures is to explore new innovations, and so we’re excited by the potential of Moodify’s functional fragrance technology, for automotive applications and other use-cases,” said Jim Adler, founding managing director of Toyota AI Ventures. “Moodify’s scent solutions are based on years of scientific research that tap into the powerful impact that smell has on our sense of well-being – whether to calm us, alert us, or enhance the perception of our environment. It’s fascinating to experience the Moodify scents firsthand, and we look forward to their products becoming widely available.”

Moodify’s first product, Moodify White, will be exhibited at the IAA show in Frankfurt this September in the VALEO booth. VALEO, a leader in automotive interior air quality, wants to complete its product portfolio with a solution that removes the negative impact of interior bad odors, and had teamed up with Moodify to develop an innovative product.

About Moodify
Co-founded in 2017 by Yigal Sharon and Dr. Yaniv Mama, Moodify develops unique active scents that enable people to improve their performance, enhance their well being and increase their safety. Based on more than a decade of research at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, Moodify’s scents affect the olfactory sense in a non-invasive and safe manner. Headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, Moodify was selected for Capsula, a TAU & the Israeli Government accelerator, and is a part of the Renault-Nissan Innovation Lab (TLV CityZone) and DriveTLV innovation Center for Smart Mobility.

About Next Gear Ventures
Next Gear Ventures is a leading smart mobility focused Israeli VC fund investing in startups at the forefront of smart mobility revolution. Next Gear is leveraging its strategic relationship with Drive TLV with its global mobility partners network to identify, mold and work with Israel’s top startups. Next Gear ventures and Drive have became the go to address for top early stage Israeli startups.

About Toyoya AI Ventures
Toyota AI Ventures is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups from around the world. Toyota’s first standalone VC fund, Toyota AI Ventures focuses on investments in areas like artificial intelligence, data, cloud, mobility, and robotics. For more information, please visit https://www.toyota-ai.ventures.

Moodify launches AI software for fragrance (re)formulation

Moodify has launched Moodify (Re)formulation, an AI software package for the formulation and reformulation of perfumery and fragrance.

The Israeli tech outfit says it enables a quick, highly effective, and component-flexible process, allowing perfumers to substitute components while maintaining the same odor profile as in the original formula.

In industries that use fragrance, such as personal & home care, consumers have high expectations for the scent experience of a product.

Changes to the availability and price of ingredients, as well as new regulatory requirements, can create challenges for fragrance houses.

Moodify (Re)formulation allows fast and easy scent reformulation, providing a fast and cost-effective way to keep up with changing regulations and ingredient availability, it says.

Moodify’s scent AI technology facilitates automatic replacement, enabling formulators to choose the best available molecule/accord. It also offers several contenders based on their level of similarity to the original molecule while optimizing for different constraints.

This technology allows Moodify to recommend a list of substituents rated by proximity, providing the perfumery and fragrance industry with a game-changing solution to the time-consuming and costly process of reformulation.

Moodify’s algorithms take into account regulatory requirements, inventory, and pricing considerations before suggesting the best substitutions. The calculation is achieved using several AI methods to ensure optimal performance in any given circumstance.

Formulators need to simply submit their formula to the app, select the component they need to replace, and Moodify’s scent AI technology will do the rest

Moodify scent AI technologies are based on more than 15 years of academic research and extensive development.

“We are thrilled to launch Moodify’s (Re)formulation, which we believe will revolutionize the way perfumers and fragrance professionals approach scent reformulation,” said Moodify CEO Eyal Maor. “Our technology offers a cost-effective and efficient solution that ensures regulatory compliance and meets the high expectations of consumers for the product scent experience,” he added.

As originally published in Personal Care Magazine

Moodify Launches AI reformulation software

Moodify has launched its Reformulation Artificial Intelligence (AI) software, Moodify (Re)formulation. The software enables a quick, highly effective and component-flexible process, allowing perfumers to substitute components while maintaining the same odor profile as in the original formula.

Moodify (Re)formulation provides a fast and cost-effective way to keep up with changing regulations and ingredient availability.

The technology facilitates automatic replacement, enabling formulators to choose the best available molecule/accord. It also offers several contenders based on their level of similarity to the original molecule while optimizing for different constraints.

Eyal Maor, CEO, Moodify, said, “We are thrilled to launch Moodify’s (Re)formulation, which we believe will revolutionize the way perfumers and fragrance professionals approach scent reformulation. Our technology offers a cost-effective and efficient solution that ensures regulatory compliance and meets the high expectations of consumers for the product scent experience.”

As originally published on Perfumer & Flavorist

Moodify achieves the excellence award at Kumihimo Tech Camp

As a result of the final selection, the selected companies for FY2022 have been announced

Moodify Ltd. Participated in the Kumihimo Tech camp, as the first non-Japanese company to be accepted.

Moodify achieved the Excellence award for joint prototyping and joint marketing of a “scent printer” – a multi-cartridge diffuser that combines primary scents to create hundreds of fragrances, in the same way, that RGB creates colors in printers.

Originally published on Murata website

Mask bad smells with AI-based Moodify White

The launch of Moodify White at in-cosmetics Global marks the introduction of the world’s first AI-based algorithmic malodour control application.

Israeli technology startup company, Moodify announced the official launch of its Moodify White software solution for malodour control on the first day of the global trade show. Moodify White is said to be world’s first AI-based algorithmic malodour control formulation application.

The innovative solution has been developed to mask bad smells, enabling a quick, highly effective and component-flexible malodour control formulation process.
Up until now, existing formulas and malodour control solutions have either been chemistry-based and limited in functionality, or excessively intense and unpleasant. Moreover, the present methods for designing and formulating malodour control solutions require extended periods of development.

Customised AI-based formulas
Moodify White is based on more than 15 years of academic research and extensive development of Moodify AI-based algorithms. These algorithms easily generate malodour formulas that are said to outperform the best malodour control benchmarks created by any other supplier when introduced to the human nose, eliminating the perception of bad smells. The advanced algorithm selects the best combination of odour neutralisers, creating a customised formula that perfectly matches the target customer’s malodour requirements.
The final formula has the concentration of components needed to obtain the expected effect, and the material amounts can be updated during the optimisation of the composition. Regulatory limitations and price considerations are also considered to ensure that customers get the most cost-effective and efficient solution.

Odour map
A versatile solution from a trusted source

 

Moodify White is ideal for a wide range of industries, including home care, personal care, household and industrial product manufacturers. By supplying a highly effective and customisable solution for malodour control, it empowers companies to create products that meet the high standards of today’s consumers and react faster to changes and customisation requirements. Applications include deodorants, detergents and other cleaning and personal hygiene products.
“We are extremely excited to launch this innovative solution at in-cosmetics Global 2023. Our customers who already receive help from Moodify White generated formulas, are reporting a significant impact on the efficiency to mask malodours,” says Eyal Maor, Moodify’s CEO. “Our advanced technology and commitment to delivering high-quality solutions make us a trusted partner for companies looking to enhance their customers’ experience. With Moodify, bad smells are no longer a problem.”
Moodify is exhibiting at in-cosmetics Global, the world’s leading event for personal care ingredients from 28 to 30 March in Barcelona, Spain. Visit booth #AJ90 for more information and to experience the Moodify White solution.

Originally published on B2B central

Moodify Launches First AI-based Algorithmic Malodor Control Application

Moodify has announced the official launch of its Moodify White software solution for malodor control at in-cosmetics Global 2023. Said to be the world’s first artificial intelligence-based (AI) algorithmic malodor control formulation application, Moodify White is designed for masking bad smells that enable a quick, highly effective, and component-flexible malodor control formulation process.

Moodify White is designed to be utilized by a wide range of industries, including home care, personal care, household, and industrial product manufacturers.

The application was developed based on 15 years of academic research and development of Moodify’s AI-based algorithms, which are said to select the best combination of odor neutralizers, creating a customized formula matching the target customer’s malodor requirements.

Moodify CEO Eyal Maor shared, “We are extremely excited to launch this innovative solution at in-cosmetics Global 2023. Our customers who already receive help from Moodify White generated formulas are reporting the significant impact on the efficiency to mask malodors. Our advanced technology and commitment to delivering high-quality solutions make us a trusted partner for companies looking to enhance their customers’ experience. With Moodify, bad smells are no longer a problem.”

Originally published on Perfumer & Flavorist and on Cosmetics and Toiletries

Forward Thinking: A Scented Home

Candles indicative of the current times, ethereal concepts, outdoor-inspired fragrances, fast-food scents, environmentally conscious products and smart diffusive technology are driving air care innovation.

BY AMY MARKS-MCGEE, Trendincite LLC; amy@trendincite.com

According to Fortune Business Insights, published in March 2020, the global home fragrance market size is expected to reach $7.96 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.6% during the forecast periodDisplay footnote number:a. The NPD Group reported that first-quarter 2020 U.S. prestige fragrance sales dropped 13% compared to 2019, totaling $655.3 million. However, growth was seen in home fragrance categories such as candles (up 8% from 2019), diffusers (up 5%), home scents (up 4%) and ancillary gift sets (up 4%)Display footnote number:b.

The NPD Group noted that candles are up not just in the United States, but globally. According to a May 4, 2020 New York Times article, home fragrance sales have experienced a surge in demand as a direct result of COVID-19. For example, Diptyque’s sales in the home category have tripled since March, and D.S. & Durga’s candles now make up 40% of its direct business while about 90% of Nest New York’s sales now come from home fragrance, up from 75% before the pandemicDisplay footnote number:c.

Candles indicative of the current times, ethereal concepts, outdoor-inspired fragrances, fast-food scents, environmentally conscious products and smart diffusive technology are driving air care innovation…………………………………………….
Link to full article>>
Smart Diffusive Technology

Technology is continually evolving, and the latest activity in air care is being driven by smartphone-enabled diffusers.

Air Wick introduced the Essential Mist smart diffuser with Bluetooth technology and a mobile app. Consumers can customize their scent experience with programmable scent schedules, adjustable scent intensity settings, refill reminders and the ability to purchase refills directly from their smartphone. The Aroma range starter pack is available in a Happiness (pineapple, peach and wild mint) fragrance and includes one diffuser, batteries and a fragrance refill. Additional fragrances in the range formulated for different moods include Sleep (lavender, eucalyptus and sage) and Unwind (jasmine, tea tree and lotus blossom) made with an exclusive blend of natural essential oils. Fragrances from the Air Wick Essential Mist collection include Cinnamon & Crisp Apple, Fresh Water Breeze, Lavender & Almond Blossom, Mandarin & Sweet Orange and Peony & Jasmine variants and are compatible with the smart diffuser.
Similarly, Nest New York launched a Smart Home Fragrance Diffuser powered by Pura that connects to a smartphone, is Alexa-compatible and enables user to set a scent schedule, swap between scents and adjust intensity. The starter set comes with Bamboo and Grapefruit fragrance vials, which are offered in scent refills, in addition to Cedar Leaf & Lavender and Moroccan Amber fragrances. Airzai released Aroma, a premium smart home fragrance diffuser with an app that is voice-enabled and can be managed by Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. The smart diffuser can schedule fragrance preferences, adjust the fragrance intensity in low, medium and high settings and create ambient lighting. Australian Sandalwood, Mediterranean Blossoms and Santorini Fig are the three current aromas offered.
In February 2020, Candle Touch launched a Kickstarter campaign. Described as the “world’s first smart-connected real-flame candle,” the Bluetooth-enabled scented candle works with a password-protected app and uses a device with an electronic base that is connected to a scented coconut wax candle and sends a current up a wire to ignite the cotton wick. According to the brand, a candle can last up to 40 hours, and the app works from as far as 60 feet away and can light up 10 candles simultaneously. Candle Touch is offered in scents such as Amber and Clove, Avocado and Mint, Grapefruit and Cardamom, Lime and Grapefruit, and White Tea and Ginger. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, at the end of March, Candle Touch closed the campaign.

At the Consumer Electronics Show 2020 (CES), Tel Aviv-based startup company introduced Moodify, an “active scent” car-like air freshener, which is designed “to alter human behavior, improve performance, enhance feelings of well-being and even increase vehicular safety.” Moodify White is the brand’s first scented product, and it “eliminates perceptions of bad odors by temporarily affecting how the brain interprets smell. It confuses the brain with custom scents in the same way that a white noise machine dulls unpleasant sounds by saturating the space with a neutral audio background.” Moodify Blue, Moodify Green and Moodify Red scents are all under development. The Moodify Blue is meant to calm an individual down and reduce stress and aggression, which is being formulated to replicate pheromones found in human tears. Moodify Green is designed to increase alertness and awareness and is based on the pheromones found in the sweat generated by humans in fearful situations, while the Moodify Red is engineered to wake you up “100% of the time [with] a very good possibility to save lives.”

Follow your nose for safer driving

,,Moodify wants you to follow your nose to safer driving,,

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/moodify-fragrances-safer-driving-ces-2020/

An Israeli company says it’s figured out how to use special fragrances to block foul odors and even alter human behavior.

Flying cars, a nuclear reactor in every home and smell-o-vison are a few innovations our forebears in the 1950s probably thought were just around the proverbial corner. Unfortunately, or perhaps luckily, none of these things have come to pass yet, though this may no longer be the case for that last item.

Moodify, a startup company based in Tel Aviv, Israel, says it has figured out how to use scents to alter human behavior, improve performance, enhance feelings of wellbeing and even increase vehicular safety. This sounds like the stuff of science fiction or the gimmick of a bad romantic comedy, but while speaking at a private media event at CES 2020 in Las Vegas, Yigal Sharon, the company’s CEO and co-founder, said it’s all backed by scientific fact.

Founded in 2017, Moodify draws on extensive development and testing. “Everything we bring to the table is backed by 10 years of research” conducted at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, Sharon said.

How is this all said to work? Well, it’s a bit complicated, but here’s the gist. Certain aromas deliver unique signals to the brain that cause humans to react without even consciously knowing it.

Sharon said the work he and his company have done has resulted in the creation of various formulations, each with a specific purpose. So far, these are Moodify White, Moodify Blue, Moodify Green and Moodify Red. Think of these as perfumes that can directly alter human behavior.

First out of the gate is Moodify White, which is launching at this year’s CES. It’s designed to change how humans perceive odors. Like a volume knob, it’s supposed to essentially turn down the intensity of undesirable smells.

As a demonstration, Sharon handed out some small, air freshenerlike fobs infused with this Moodify White. When they eventually go on sale, he estimates these passive diffusers will sell for $25 each and last a month. Anecdotally, after opening the one I was given, one or two sniffs did seem to cancel out the cleaning-solution smell of my Vegas hotel room, but of course, we’d need to do real testing to render a verdict.

Sharon said Moodifier White can be used to make ride-hailing vehicles and rental cars more pleasant or to reduce tobacco-smoke aromas indoors — perhaps in buses, public spaces and even on airplanes. He also noted it’d be great for dealerships, to help reduce the perception of unwanted aromas in used cars.

Moving on, this is where things start getting a little weird. “Moodify Blue can calm you down,” Sharon said, reducing stress and aggression. Unfortunately, compared with the Moodify White formulation, “The Blue will cost more because this is a very specialized signal, which has to be synthesized,” though oddly enough, it’s a copy of pheromones found in human tears. He said he hopes it will hit the market in six to eight months, possibly as an oil you can rub on your skin if you feel anxious. “This has huge potential,” he said.

Read more….. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/moodify-fragrances-safer-driving-ces-2020/